Here’s What We Know About Marilou Danley, The Girlfriend Of Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock

Investigators continue to dig for a motive for why Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock killed 59 people in a massacre that injured over 525 more. So far, Paddock’s Mandalay Bay hotel room and homes (spread across four states) have yielded a vast arsenal, and searches of all premises and his finances will carry on. However, investigators are now zeroing in on Paddock’s girlfriend, Marilou Danney, a 62-year-old Filipino American. Who is she, and what — if anything — did she know of Paddock’s plans?

A “Person Of Interest”: Hanley, who was not in the United States during the massacre, arrived late Tuesday night in Los Angeles after a flight from Manila. She was expected to be questioned upon her arrival, and those efforts are ongoing. Danley’s considered a “person of interest” (that is, she hasn’t been charged with any crimes, but authorities have remained otherwise vague) and is thought to be cooperating fully with investigators while they seek more information.

Her Relationship With Paddock: Danley reportedly met Paddock, a retired accountant and professional gambler, in Vegas. The timeline on their relationship is somewhat muddled. From about 2010-2013, Danley worked at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, which Paddock frequented as a high-stakes gambler. In 2015, Danley divorced her husband (while specifying one of Paddock’s homes, a condo in Reno, as her address) of 25 years, Geary Danley. And as one Atlantis employee said, “Then she was just gone one day … I asked some fellow workers and they said she went off with Stephen.”

How Her Name Surfaced: Paddock used a card in Danley’s name to book his Mandalay Bay hotel room, where he carried out his attack on a country music festival. Those who know Danley were reportedly shocked to hear her name mentioned in connection with the horrific event. People describe her as outgoing and warm, but neighbors say that she and Paddock were rather reclusive and did not socialize as a couple.

Paddock Sent Her Away: Relatives have provided some insight into how Paddock sought to insulate Danley while plotting the massacre. Danley’s two sisters told reporters that Paddock sent her on a vacation to the Philippines (as a surprise trip) one week before his attack, and this could be related to the $100,000 wire transfer that he recently made to the Philippines. Paddock’s brother, Eric, believes that Paddock “manipulated” Danley by sending her away but did so to protect her: “And as he was descending into hell, he wanted to try to take care of her.”

A Secret Identity?(UPDATE: The below story has been retracted by Newsweek.) An unconfirmed Newsweek report claims that Danley maintained two separate identities — including two simultaneous marriages (one with Jose Bustos and the other with Geary Danley) and two social security numbers. Reportedly, these identities merged in 2012 when she filed for bankruptcy, although her attorney wouldn’t provide comment, nor would the Social Security Administration. Further, the outlet hasn’t yet spoken to Bustos or Geary Danley.

Given that Danley lived with Paddock at the Mesquite residence where the vast majority of Paddock’s arsenal was found, investigators think that she can help piece together his motive. However, the deceased Paddock can no longer speak on his behalf, and the Mesquite home contained a massive garage safe that may have hidden his stash. Yet authorities still hope that Danley can tell them something, anything, that will help.

She may not have known his plans for Vegas, but otherwise I think she’s kidding herself and/or us, in saying she only knew him as ‘kind, warm’ man. There’s no way there weren’t signs that something was ‘off’ about him. He must have been planning this for months if not years. She never asked about his safe in the garage? Where was he keeping all that luggage? She never asked about that? She never saw him suddenly hide his PC screen from her?…or lock himself into the room for an hour so he could have ‘privacy’? Starbucks employees in their town said he’d often berate her in public. Neighbors said that whenever she was with him, they were asocial (though when she was alone, she was said to be ‘friendly’). They always kept their shades CLOSED. A Mandalay rep said Stephen was well known to them and other ‘regulars’, and that Stephen would often take command of multiple slot machines as once, which irritate other patrons, with one patron even commenting that Stephen ‘gave them the creeps’. COME ON people! Wake up. This guy was clearly disturbed and very angry. This didn’t come out of nowhere. But people weren’t paying attention and/or did not want to see what was right in front of their face (i.e, the girlfriend didn’t want to admit to herself that there was something wrong with him, because she was ‘in love’ with her white knight in shining armor…. she didn’t want to be alone…she liked the perks of the relationship. Etc. She is not telling us the full story. She may not have known he was the type to commit mass murder, but she had to have felt something was not right about him. At the very least, he sounds abusive (berated her in public, and when together in front of neighbors, she became ‘quiet’. That is classic behavior of an abuse victim.)